The present invention relates to a water heating system. Present domestic and commercial water heaters utilize electricity or fossil fuels for the heating water. Due to the increasing cost of electricity, both of these sources of heat are becoming increasingly more expensive. In addition, the increased burning of fuel and generation of electric power has become a serious environmental problem. In spite of a greater capacity for generating electric power, the demand for power is outstripping our capacity to produce it. Industry is heavily dependent on electric power, while the domestic use of power has increased due to labor-saving devices in the home, air conditioners, and other appliances.
While power consumption has increased, there is a corresponding increase of power waste. This waste, for the most part, is in the form of heat. After heated water has served its intended purpose, it is disposed of into a sewage system. In the generation of electricity, as well as its utilization for operating appliances and machines, heat is an unused by-product and wasted BTUs are dumped into the environment.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a water heating system which utilizes heat that would, otherwise, be wasted.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a thermal system for warming water at a substantial savings in operating costs.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a thermal system for heating water in which system there is a substantial reduction in environmental pollution, i.e., thermal pollution of streams and chemical pollution of air.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a thermal system for heating water with improved heat-transfer capability by using the phase-change of a heat transfer fluid.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a thermal system which utilizes a minimum of moving parts.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a thermal system for heating water which is relatively simple and reliable to operate.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a thermal system for heating water, the system including automatic controls which enable it to function within optimum temperature ranges for maximum operating efficiency.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a thermal system for heating water wherein heat is collected from its hottest point and is transferred to the water to be heated at its coldest point as a further enhancement of operating efficiency.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a thermal system which combines in a single unit the collection of waste heat from two unrelated heat waste sources.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a thermal system for heating water in which a single heat collection unit collects heat from waste water and heat from an air conditioning or dehumidifying system.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.